David Weir has revealed a senior British Athletics coach accused him of throwing a race at the Rio Paralympics in a furious row that culminated in allegations she threw his wheelchair across a room.

The Paralympic icon claimed Jenni Banks, head of the wheelchair athletics programme, told him he had let his country down after a lacklustre performance in Brazil last summer.

Athletes from Germany and Switzerland then alleged they had seen Banks unleash her anger and others said they witnessed her throwing Weir's £3,000 racing chair across the room.

David Weir says Jenni Banks accused him of throwing a race at the 2016 Rio Paralympics

He claims she told him he had let his country down after his display in the 400m relay

Weir branded British Athletics a 'joke' after they had failed to uphold a complaint alleging Banks, head of the wheelchair racing programme, hurled his chair in anger

Australian Banks was cleared of these claims by a British Athletics internal investigation, as revealed by Sportsmail, which left Weir seething. Feeling bruised and let down, the 37-year-old vowed never to race in a British vest again.

The six-time Paralympic Champion said he felt disrespected after the incident which occurred when Great Britain's 400m relay team failed to make the final in Rio.

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'I came off the track and she came running over accusing me of sabotaging the team and doing it on purpose,' said Weir, 'She said I was a disgrace to the country, and told me if I didn't want to do the relay I should have said.

'To be accused of not putting 100 per cent in during a race it made me feel like s*** to be honest, that's just not me. There were a few words thrown back and forwards, a lot of the teams saw what went on and they were absolutely disgusted with the way she spoke to me.'

Weir became a household name when he won four gold medals at the London Games in 2012

Weir added: 'I didn't hear about the suggestion that she'd thrown my chair until the day I flew home because I didn't see that but other international athletes did, I just laughed when I heard. I don't ask for much but I feel I deserve a bit more respect. I would never throw a race. That's not in my make up.

'I don't do things like that. It doesn't matter if I hate the person next to me in the team. You're there to win medals for the country and if it's two people helping you to win medals and you don't like them it doesn't bother me.'

Weir found out by email last week that the allegation about Banks throwing his wheelchair had been dismissed which led him to announce his retirement from international competition on Twitter. He said he felt let down by the sport's governing body.

Weir said he was sad not to be competing at the World Para Athletics Championships in London this summer at the stadium where he lit up the Paralympics during London 2012, when he won four gold medals.

'I always wanted to finish at London 2017,' said Weir, 'It's a special track to me even though I haven't raced well since 2012. It would have been nice to bale out there but they made the decision for me to be honest.

'I just felt that if Jenni Banks was still in the job it wouldn't be fair on the other team members if there was an atmosphere around.'

The 'Weir-wolf' shows off his four golds in Richmond Park in a special picture for Sportsmail

Weir earned the nickname Weirwolf and endeared himself to the nation during the London Games. But he painted a picture of enormous discord in Rio, even claiming Banks had concealed a training practice from him.

He claimed to have repaired his relationship with British Athletics and it is understood he may still play an ambassadorial role at London 2017. Weir will compete in his 17th London marathon in April and will be aiming for his seventh victory.

A British Athletics spokeswoman said: 'We can confirm there was a frank exchange of views between an athlete and the relay coach following the race when the GB men's wheelchair team failed to qualify for the final.

'We can also confirm that we have met with David Weir to receive first hand his feedback on his experiences in Rio, and that we are working to ensure we learn from these experiences ahead of future team events.'

Banks declined to comment on Friday night.

Following the row, a full investigation involving British Athletics' human resources department ensued but the complaint was not upheld